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Have you ever had goosebumps? It’s when your hair stands on end and your skin looks like a chicken without any feathers. Have you ever wondered why we get them? Think like a scientist and let’s find out!
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W hen we become chilled, excited, or frightened, our bodies produce a hormone called adrenaline. It makes our heart beat
faster, prepares our lungs to take in more
oxygen, and causes our pupils to dilate. It
also causes tiny muscles beneath our skin to
contract, tugging at the roots of the hairs that
cover our bodies. This is when our hair stands
on end and gives us “goosebumps.”
Scientists believe that our bodies react to
fear and excitement in this way as a means of
survival. Back many thousands of years, if a
human heard a strange sound in the forest or
was afraid of an attack by an animal, adrenaline
would prepare the human body to run from
danger or to stay put and defend itself.
Having bumps on your skin doesn’t seem
like a really useful thing for survival in case of
cold or an attack. But scientists believe that a
very long time ago, when the human body was
covered in a thicker coat of hair, having a “hair-
raising experience” served two main purposes.
First, your puffed-up hair could trap a layer of
air next to your skin, which would insulate you
against the cold. Second, having all of your hair
stand up would give you the appearance of
being larger and scarier in case of an attack!
Because humans aren’t covered in hair like
they used to be, goosebumps don’t seem to
have a purpose, other than to signal to us
that we’re chilly, excited, or creeped out. But
you may have seen goosebumps plus a coat
of fur in action if you’ve ever seen a dog’s fur
bristling when it hears a strange noise, or a
cat that puffed up after being startled!
On the back of this paper, answer the following:
1. What causes goosebumps to form?
2. Explain two reasons scientists believe humans get goosebumps.
3. Have you ever had goosebumps? If so, what do you think caused yours?